Unforgettable Promise
by KCcrazy
Summary: He would do anything for her, anything at all. Play her a song, bring her food, tell her jokes, anything. It was his promise to her that he would remain friends with her forever. Even if it meant breaking into the asylum. An Alice and Jasper story.
1. Chapter 1

**So this idea's been playing in my mind for a while, and I absolutely LOVE Jasper and Alice fics, so I figured: Why not publish it? This chapter's a little short, but it's sort of like a prologue.**

**Summary: He would do anything for her, anything at all. Play her a song, bring her food, tell her jokes, anything. It was his promise to her that he would remain friends with her forever. Even if it meant breaking into the asylum.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_Twilight_**.**

Unforgettable Promise

"_And you ducked your head, like a good Southern gentleman, and said, 'I'm sorry, ma'am.'" – Alice Cullen, Eclipse_

"_You held out you hand, and I took it without stopping to make sense of what I was doing. For the first time in a century, I felt hope." – Jasper Hale, Eclipse_

Chapter One

_Jasper Hale_

Jasper Hale pushed his Civil War books aside and leaned back in his black office chair, setting the recliner to a moderate one hundred twenty degree angle. He had spent the last few hours working on his history report, and by now he was nearing exhaustion. Eleventh year was tough, and the teachers were not making it any easier by giving them so many tests and reports. Jasper couldn't wait to get out of school and begin travelling, ready to escape the boring town of Houston, Texas for good.

Jasper had first gotten into travelling when his parents, John and Mae Hale, had taken him on a trip to Tokyo, Japan. He had become fascinated with their unique culture, and had insisted on staying another month. About two years ago, they had gone on another trip to England and visited Buckingham Palace, home to the queen. He had been wanting to travel the world ever since. His family was very wealthy, one of the upper class families, so the expenses never seemed too costly.

Jasper's twin sister, Rosalie, however, was majoring in mechanics, and had wanted to pursue a life of building and fixing cars. Jasper and Rosalie were nothing alike, aside from the fact that they had almost the exact same shade of honey blond hair. Rosalie had always been the selfish, conceited, shallow kind of person, and Jasper was usually the quiet, timid, unnoticeable kind of person.

"Jasper! Rosalie! Time for dinner!" Jasper's mother called. He quickly gathered up his school books and papers and organized him into a messy pile, before stalking down the stairs and into the dining room.

Rosalie was already seated there, looking at herself in a compact mirror with a grim expression. "They have a bit of a surprise for us," she murmured as he passed. She glanced up quickly to make sure their parents weren't listening. "From the way Dad's acting, I have a feeling it's not good." Rosalie tossed her blond hair across her shoulder and picked up her fork, mindlessly moving her food around.

Jasper quietly slid into his seat, letting his thoughts escape him. What could the surprise possibly be? He thought.

Mae Hale sat down at the head of the table and rubbed her hands together, an eager smile on her powder coated face. "As you know, your father has been doing exceedingly well in his work for quite a while now," she began. John smiled, revealing his crooked teeth. "And Mr. McIntire, his boss, has recently given him a promotion!"

Rosalie sighed, obviously bored with the conversation. "Great. Another one of Dad's Famous 'this will be good for us; for the family' speeches," she muttered a little to loudly.

Mae glared at her daughter for a minute, who in turn glared back. "But unfortunately," Jasper's mother continued. "He will have to move out of the state, while Rosalie and I stay here and manage the house."

Rosalie smiled, a soft 'yes' escaping her full lips. She gave a sly, almost evil smile to her twin as if to say _See? I told you they always like me best_. Her violet eyes seemed to be dancing, happy at the fact that they were kicking her brother out.

Jasper's mind clouded with confusion, and an uneasy feeling lurched inside of him. He shoved food in his mouth to calm down, though he doubted a full stomach would make him feel any better. Tension coated the air, so thick it would seem almost impossible to break. "W-what about me?" he choked out.

His mother's smile grew bigger, if possible, and the tension disappeared. "Jasper, honey," she began. "We know how interested in travelling you are, and your doing great in school, so we thought your father could take you with him on his trip." Mae and John exchanged a look, and Jasper leaned forward in anticipation. France? Italy? Germany? Spain? Ireland? Countless thoughts of new and exciting places to travel to raced through Jasper's mind.

"You're going to Mississippi!"

Jasper's face fell, and Rosalie couldn't keep the happy smile off her face.

_

* * *

_

Alice Brandon

Alice Brandon wiped the tears from her eyes as her parents packed away the last of her belongings into the attic for good. Her parents were sending her to the asylum because of the visions she had. An asylum for people who actually _were _insane_._ People like her parents, or her sister, even, who were giving their daughter away just because she had visions, or 'spawn of the devil himself' as she was sometimes called.

Ever since Alice was an infant, only three or four months old, she had been having visions. They usually came in her sleep, so they never made much sense until she learned to control them. And they were usually painful, so painful at times she would have to stay on Motrin or Tylenol or a solid hour before it finally ceased. The visions were never important ones, either-like a life or death situation-but instead simple things, like the weather, or even what they would be serving for lunch in the cafeteria at school the next day. Alice never felt the need to tell her parents-or anyone, for that matter-about them because of this.

But then came the day when it _was _a life or death experience.

Alice shuddered as the memory she had spent so many years trying to hide came bursting at her at full force. The one time she had told . . . the one time she had told people about her visions . . . it has caused so many near deaths of friends, and even the near death of a family member. Alice couldn't bare to think about the huge mistake she had made without remembering the later events of the horrid night, or the anger it had caused her parents.

Looking back at her parents now, she once again tried to persuade them to let her stay. "Mom, please! I'm telling the truth," Alice pleaded.

"No, Alice, you're not. You're an insane, lying, toad, and if you don't leave now, you'll end up getting us arrested. You could end up killing your own damn family just because of your stupid _visions_." Veronica Brandon tossed an old, ratty, shirt into the attic from the fifth step. It flew through the air, landing with a gentle _whoosh_. "This is for the fam- your own good. Don't you see, honey. We want to protect you." The last part seemed forced, and Alice couldn't help but let a few tears leak out of her puffy red eyes.

"Mom, just"—

"No, Alice! NO! Absolutely not! You're not telling the truth!" Mark Brandon stormed at his oldest daughter. Sweat was forming on his face and neck, soaking his suit, and his beady black turtle eyes were bulging out of his head. "You're a lying, selfish, inconsiderate, little brat, sent from the devil himself! You don't give a damn about anyone but yourself, you little toad!" Alice watched with helpless and miserable eyes as her mother rush to Mark's side as he sank onto the cold wooden ground.

"Oh, now look what you've done! You've nearly killed your own father! Why couldn't your so called _visions _see _that_?! What the hell is wrong with you?" Veronica's flawless face was as red as her scarlet dress. Alice hated the fact that her mother and father were dressing up for the occasion of giving their eldest daughter—a freak, in their opinion—away. After taking a few deep breaths and making sure Mark had calmed down, Veronica turned to glare at Alice. She grabbed her roughly by the arm and dragged her out of the room, past their favorite daughter, and out to the car.

Cynthia, Alice's perfect twelve year old sister, stood gleefully at the doorway, happy about the fact that her freakish sister was leaving and she would be an only child. She stroked her plush doll, a gift given to her for her tenth birthday, something Alice had never even thought of before. Cynthia bent down and whispered menacingly into Alice ear, "Goodbye, witch."

"Cynthia!" Alice's mother called from the porch. "What did I tell you about going near her?! You should know by now never to speak to someone who's been possessed by the devil!"

"Sorry, Mom!" Cynthia called back. She stepped away, but not before giving Alice a slap straight across the face, leaving a bright red spot on her pale skin. "It's what you deserve for being the witch of the family. You've got the devil inside you, Witch. 'Mom, the weather reporter's wrong! It's going to rain tomorrow!' 'Dad's going to get fired if he's late again!'" Cynthia mimicked Alice in a high pitched, annoyingly squeaky voice. "Now get the hell out of here. You know we don't want you. None of us ever did. We never will."

As Veronica revved up the engine of her black 212 Jaguar out of the driveway, Alice saw through the thin curtains of what used to be her room, now a bare and desolate storage closet. Her father, still in his celebration suit, picked up what appeared to be a lamp and threw it against the wall.

It fell with a sharp crack, its contents shattering to pieces.

Just like the rest of Alice's life.

**So what'd you think? This is my first time using third person point of view, so forgi****ve me if I use "me" or "I" or anything like that once in a while. Just point it out and I'll fix it. I know Jasper's kind of OOC, but he'll get more IC throughout the story. I hoped you enjoyed this first chapter-I worked really hard on it. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys-me again. Thanks for all the reviews! Seriously, it makes me feel so happy, especially with my friend being sick and my ex-friend plagiarizing my work.**

**This chapter is dedicated to: lissyjazz85 for being my first reviewer.**

**Disclaimer: I onda wnoa **_Wilighta_**. For all of you who aren't Pig Latin scholars, that means 'I don't own **_Twilight_**. You could probably figure that out, compared to every single other disclaimer on this site.**

Chapter Two

_Alice Brandon_

"Goodbye, plants. Goodbye, houses. Goodbye, stores. Goodbye, mailman. Goodbye,"—

"Alice, will you shut up already? The only thing you should be saying 'goodbye' to is that bloodthirsty demon inside you!" Veronica spat.

"Civilization," Alice finished. Her mother glared at her in the mirror, her fierce amber eyes boring into Alice's blue ones. Alice smiled innocently, trying to hide the newfound mischievous glint in her eyes. "Don't worry, Mother," she murmured quietly. "I'll behave." _Until you leave._

"You better. Now shut the hell up, or you'll spread the devil to the rest of this town. That's all Biloxi needs. Another spawn of the devil." Veronica muttered the last part and all but ripped the door off as she stepped out of the car, Alice slowly trudging behind her. _Yeah, home of the root beer_.

Once inside, Alice immediately felt an uneasy feeling cloud inside her. The asylum foyer was dark and dreary, the only furniture a wooden chair, matching Alice's mood perfectly. The main entrance was only about fifteen feet across, a ceiling so low Alice could nearly touch it. An old, dirty, cracked, moss caked window covered one side of the wall and a dark green ancient couch sat opposite it. The floors were damp and decayed, a decade worth of damage covering it. An old wooden fan spun lazily overhead, brining little air to the humid atmosphere. A man with cropped brown hair who looked to be about in his mid thirties stood at a reception desk, the only decent looking thing in the place.

Veronica walked briskly up to the reception desk, her heel nearly sinking into the floor. The man looked up and smiled, showing a line of crooked, yellow teeth. He stood up and stuck out his hand, knobby fingernails nearly invisible against his dirty brown hands. "Hi, you must be Mr. Montgomery"—

"Ah, call me James," he interrupted.

Veronica scrunched up her face for a second, clearly hating the fact that a near stranger had interrupted her. She recovered quickly, and then continued. "James, yes. Well, I have our little . . . _problem _here." Veronica glanced over at Alice as if she would assault her at any minute.

"What's her claim?"

"Visions . . . . _She claims she can see the future_." James chuckled, spitting out his coffee and staining his papers.

"Age?"

"Seventeen. Eighteen on July ninth."

"All right, all right. Does she have any current possessions?" James looked at Alice, his eyes grazing up and down her body. "Any . . . _treasures_, perhaps?"

"Nothing but the clothes on her back."

"They'll have to be confiscated. Burned. We can't have the devil spread anywhere else. She's in an incredibly dangerous situation right now, and she simply can_not _have her poisoning the other children. Here, put this on." James bent down and pulled open a drawer in his desk, a pile of clothes surprisingly tucked inside. A few moments later, he came out with a baggy black tee shirt and matching pants. "Go change in that room," he pointed to a door a few feet away. "And put your clothes in this Ziploc bag."

Alice grabbed the clothes and bag and stalked into the room, which actually turned out to be a coat closet. She slowly began unbuttoning her shirt, squirming around slightly as to not knock anything over. Alice slipped on the shirt, which was seemingly several sizes to big. The plants were the same, having to be rolled up to fit.

Peeking out of the closet door, Alice suddenly felt very self conscious. Here she was, in a mental asylum, wearing an outfit that probably wouldn't even fit her father. Tears were flowing down her face, and her hair was covered in knots. Other adults were looking at her as if she really _was_ a freak.

"Get over here," James growled. He was rummaging through business papers, pointing out places for Veronica to sign. "You'll need to go in isolation. Stay away from everyone, and everything," he continued. "We've already concluded that your . . . _condition _is contagious, as there have been news reports of other people claiming they have _visions_." James glared at Veronica for a minute, as if she was the cause of the other reports. Veronica glared back, amber eyes shining, before motioning for James to continue.

"You'll be gone soon, you little toad. Quite soon."

Alice jumped at the voice of the person who had suddenly appeared behind her.

A lady with fiery red hair and gleaming black eyes wrapped her arm around James in a seductive fashion. "Oh, is this the little child who needs help? Oh, isn't she just adorable!" Her voice was sickly sweet and fake, making Alice want to vomit all over her skin tight outfit. "How old are you? Eleven? Twelve?"

"She's seventeen, Victoria." James leaned over and whispered something in Victoria's ear, going unheard by everyone else. Whatever it was, it made her face light up like a kid's on Christmas morning. She walked away, further into the asylum, sashaying her hips as she did so. "Veronica, you may leave now. I'll have one of my men take her to the cell. We'll kill the demon, and call you when it's time."

_Time for what? _Alice wanted to ask, but kept her mouth shut, instead choosing to watch as her mother walked away and out the door.

"Laurent! Take this girl to her prison cell. Make sure she's far away from any of the other children." Alice was interrupted by her train of thought when a man with deeply tanned skin and dread locks grabbed her by the arm and dragged her down several dark and dreary hallways.

Laurent stopped at the last door, one that was made completely of metal and several inches thick. There were bars at the top, much too high for Alice to see through. Laurent took a key and a thick locket out of his pocket and pulled open the door.

"I don't enjoy cells," Alice said unsurely, clearly trying to stall her captivity. "They make me feel claustrophobic."

Laurent smirked, showing several crooked, yellow teeth, most of which had holes in them. "Get in there or I'll shove you in there myself." He bent down and picked up a large piece of coal. He tossed it around in his grubby hands teasingly, threatening to use it as a weapon if necessary.

Alice stepped in quickly, waiting until the prison ward's footsteps faded away before breaking out into a flood of tears.

_

* * *

_

Jasper Hale

Jasper walked slowly up to his room, disappointment clouding his mind. It was Rosalie's turn to do the dishes, so he had the night to himself, most of which would be spent wallowing in misery.

Knowing he should be thankful he was at least going _somewhere_, Jasper turned on his computer and began looking up facts about Mississippi—things to do, historical landmarks, anything. Grabbing his notebook, Jasper began making a list of the few things that were actually worth seeing in Mississippi.

Nothing.

Sighing, Jasper opened his history book and began reading, folding a page over every time it had something of importance. There were few things he didn't already know on the subject, but he was sure to take neat and careful notes anyway. The only sounds in the room were the pencil scarping against the paper and the ticking of the wall clock. _Maybe if I studied harder and did better in school they would actually take me someplace worthwhile for a change._

"Hey, Jazz. You in there?" Rosalie's usually unhappy voice sounded strangely caring in the hallway outside Jasper's room. "Can I come in?"

Sighing, Jasper turned off his computer. He walked across the Oriental rug to the door, carefully unlocking it as if it were a trap. When nothing but Rosalie's exasperated sigh was heard, Jasper relaxed and opened the door.

Rosalie barged into the room, grabbed Jasper by the hand, and all but dragged him over to the bed. She glared at him for a few seconds, and an eerie silence formed in the room. It seemed like hours before she finally spoke. "I know you're upset about this. And _don't _interrupt me." She held up a finger for emphasis.

Jasper ignored her. "I'm _obviously _upset. How can I _not_ be upset? My whole life has been spent studying so many different places! And now I have to go to Mississippi! Probably one of the most incredibly"—

"Shut up." Rosalie clapped a hand over his mouth. She looked around warily, as if someone would jump out and attack them. She got up from her place on the bed and quietly closed the door, flipping the switch so that it locked before carefully climbing back onto the bed. "Dad didn't really get a promotion."

"What are you talking about? He's doing great in work. He hasn't been late once. Why wouldn't he get a promotion?" Jasper's voice was laced with confusion. His dad was always the perfect man in work, the one everyone wanted to hire.

"The truth is," Rosalie looked around again, her hand still clasped on her brother's mouth. "Dad didn't really get a promotion," she said, repeating her exact words from before. But this time, Rosalie was whispering so quietly it was nearly impossible to hear her. "He got fired yesterday."

"What? That's impossible. Dad would never"—

"He would. Look at this." Rosalie slipped her purse off her shoulder and dug through it for a few seconds before finally pulling out an old magazine. Jasper gaped as he read the headline of the first page, written in big, bold, black letters.

'Bank Closes, Company Fires Millions'

"The bank was robbed about a week ago—the very one Dad works—_worked_ at." Rosalie's voice was tight and strained, as if she was fighting back tears, something Jasper had only seen her do twice since the day they were born. "Everything was taken. When the police came in to investigate the next day, the place was trashed. Not a single thing worth any value was left." She waited a few seconds, taking several deep breaths to calm down. "Some people were even killed." A single tear streaked down her flushed face.

Jasper's breath caught in his throat, and he felt as if he couldn't breathe.

"They're selling the house," Rosalie whispered. Her violet eyes met Jasper's blue ones. "You and Dad are moving to Mississippi. Mom and I have to move into an apartment. _Permanently_.

"Rosalie, they can't. Our parents can't do this to us." Jasper ripped the pillowcase off a decorated pillow. Tossing his notebook aside, Jasper ran up to his door and kicked so hard he was surprised it didn't crumble.

"They're separating us. Our own parents." Rosalie looked almost delusional as she stumbled around and collapsed sobbing on the bed.

_Delusional_.

Maybe this was all of dream. A horrifying, life drenching dream One that left you screaming in the night.

_Maybe this was all a dream_.

Jasper sat up so quickly a flood of dizziness rushed to his already aching head. He stumbled around for a minute, clutching the nightstand beside his bed so he wouldn't fall. "I'll be right back," he muttered.

"Where are you going?" Rosalie's face was flushed red, and strands of hair were stuck to her sweaty face.

"I'm going for a drive." Jasper grabbed his keys off the dresser and ran out the door, past his startled parents, and out the front door to his motorbike.

**R.I.P. – Farrah Fawcett (Charlie's Angel), Michael Jackson (no explanation needed), and Billy Mays (Oxi Clean Guy). You will be missed.**

**Sorry if this is hard to read but the format is acting screwy. And who do you think I write better – Alice or Jasper? And I mean no offense to Mississippi fans. Seriously, Mississippi's awesome. New Moon comes out in 142 days, 14 hours, 55 minutes, and 35 seconds as I'm typing this. Thanks for reading!**

**Reviews are as good as Alice is unhappy. (That's a lot.)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry I haven't updated in forever. I've been away, my computer crashed, we had a mini tornado, and I broke my arm falling down a hill. I swear I'm turning into Bella. Or Alice in this case. Bottle my luck and you'll be able to destroy the world. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_Twilight_**.**

Chapter Three

_Alice Brandon_

Alice stayed awake until three A.M. that first day—a new personal, unsatisfying record. The cobblestone floor was hard and rough, causing goose bumps to rise against her petite arms. There was a cold draft hanging in the air throughout the night, making the atmosphere begin to feel more and more like Antarctica than it had before. The only furniture was a rusted iron bench, half of which was covered in a disgusting black goop and rotting apples, most likely the only food she would be receiving for a while.

Ignoring the pain in her aching back, Alice sat up lazily and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Squinting in the darkness, Alice could barely make out the shapes of the few objects lying around the cramped room. What appeared to be a rat scuttled around nervously looking for food, afraid of the new being in the room. There was the faintest bit of light in the corner of the cell, not visible to the naked eye, that kept track of what prisoners were doing and if they were planning escape.

A woman was moaning loudly in the room she supposed was next to her. Alice sat up, dizzy from the lack of sleep, and crawled over to the wall separating her from the strange woman. Pressing her ear against the thin, rocky, wall, Alice strained to hear what she was saying.

"No! Give them back! You will never . . . you will never take them. They are mine! My wonderful little pretties!" There was a quiet buzzing sound, and then silence. A few seconds later, a door slammed and the sound of heavy footsteps rang throughout the hall outside Alice's cell.

Crawling quickly to the corner to avoid being seen by the guard, Alice took several deep breaths to calm down. The sound of clanking metal rang loudly in Alice's ears as the guard shoved the key in the lock and kicked open the heavy metal door, what appeared to be a large gun in his gloved hand. He looked around for a few seconds, searching for the new prisoner who had been confined to the cell. Alice squinted in the sudden light, her already racing heartbeat became erratic as the guard spotted her cowering in the corner.

"You," he hissed. "Get over here, before I drag you here myself." When Alice didn't respond, the man walked forward and yanked her up by her hair. Alice winced, biting back a yelp, not wanting to show how afraid she truly was. The guard glowered at her, showing his rotten and yellowed teeth. "You're going in for the investigation." Keeping his gun pointed at Alice's back, he led her to the "investigation room" as he called it.

Once there, she was seated on a small stool, covered with sharp edges and splinters that pierced her fragile skin. The guard left the room, leaving the gun at the door and bolting the lock tightly closed. A tall man in a doctor's suit came in then, holding a pair of scissors and what looked to be a taser in his filthy, grubby hands. "The spirit inside you is causing you to see visions? Of the future?" He asked, his voice muffled under the mask.

_What else could I see?_ Alice thought sarcastically, thinking it best not to voice her true opinion on the topic. "How long did it take to figure that one out? Didn't my witch of a mother tell my _claims_ already? Or were you to busy paying attention to that giant mole on your face to pay attention to what your _master_ was telling you?" Alice had heard several of the guards talking about how much they respected James, and the ore independent ones speaking of how much they were controlled by him.

The doctor growled, what was visible of his face beneath the mask turning a dark red color. "I am your controller, and you will treat me with respect." Much to Alice's surprise, he seemed nervous at what he was doing, as if choosing the wrong words could result in his death.

"Just like the way James treats you?" Alice mocked. She knew it was unsafe to be doing something like this when she was trapped in an insane asylum, but she couldn't ignore the need to get her anger out--especially on someone who seemed so weak, someone who seemed so unsure of what he was doing. Alice's uncle was the only who had ever respected the fact that she could see visions, the only one who had treated her equally and had been willing to accept her into his family when the asylum news came about. _If there was a sane asylum for the Earth, it'd be empty._ Alice quoted her uncle's words in her mind.

The Doctor Evil, as Alice now called him, picked up the razor sharp scissors and walked slowly over to the petite girl waiting on the stool just feet in front of him. "As I was saying, the spirit usually lurks in girls more often so than boys. Therefore"--he snipped off a piece of Alice's long, inky black locks, causing her to flinch, before continuing --"we must change your appearance, so you fit more to look like a boy." Alice's eyes went wide with the sudden information; she jumped off the wobbly stool, causing Doctor Evil to cut her hair unevenly. Alice gasped, as the left side of her head now resembled a haystack.

A scowl was visible on Doctor Evil's face, even with the mask covering his mouth and nose. "Very well then. I shall come to work on you later. You should hope James doesn't come to see you. Laurent is fine--he's not nearly as bad as the others. He's one of the newer sub-leaders; doesn't know much about what goes on here except he can't treat the vermin here well. James and Victoria are the ones you should be worrying about. One little mistake and they'll gladly kill you."

* * *

_Jasper Hale_

Jasper smiled joyfully as the wind blew roughly through his honey blond untamed hair, a goofy grin plastered on his face. He was going to the one place he could find solace, the one place where he could find comfort in a time like this.

Maria's house.

Maria had been his girlfriend for as long as he could remember. They had first met in the beginning of kindergarten when her family had moved into the newly redone large estate next to theirs. The Hales and the Smiths had quickly become good friends, almost as instantaneously as Jasper and Maria had. Maria had three sisters that Rosalie had often played with and hung out with as she grew older--Netty and Lucy.

Netty was the older of the two, slightly plump and with pale brown hair and an assortment of freckles scattered across her face. She was the smartest daughter of the Smith family, having made several honors and accomplishments throughout her high school years. Lucy was the youngest, currently only fourteen years of age. She was the sporty child of the family, exactly the opposite of her two older siblings.

And then there was Maria. Beautiful, perfect, Maria. Jasper didn't know why, but for some reason he had felt instantly drawn to her--whether it was her attitude, what she did, how she did it, who she hung out with, her appearance, even what she ate. She was one of the popular girls, an average in schoolwork and a total flunk in any sports besides cheerleading. Jasper had first asked her out back in seventh grade, and they had been going out ever since. Jasper knew she had her flaws--but those were immediately overlooked the second he saw her sparkling emerald eyes.

Jasper's smile only grew bigger as he pulled up to the driveway of her mansion. Maria had moved out of her family's estate about two and a half years ago, "ready to take on the big world at such a young age" as his parents--and probably every other emotional person on this crazy mixed up planet--had called it. But he understood his girlfriend, and respected what she wanted to do. Jasper parked his motorbike in the driveway and slung his helmet, something he only used when his parents were around, around the handlebars.

Jasper hadn't been waiting for more than thirty seconds when the large French doors opened before him, revealing his girlfriend in a lacy black tank top and silky black shorts. Jasper winced at the outfit, suddenly remembering why he had neglected to come here in so long. One of Maria's biggest and most important flaws: the fact that she was much to clingy, unfortunately in more ways than one.

"J! You're finally here!" Jasper winced again at his incredibly absurd nickname, hating the fact that he had to be called a_ letter _nearly four to six hours a day. Maria threw her long arms around Jasper's neck, only to have them be removed not seconds later. She pouted. "Aww, come on. You know it's my favorite name for you."

Jasper sighed in exasperation and stepped inside the more than average sized mansion. Maria followed him in, a victorious and gleeful smile etched on her tanned face. "Maria . . . .," he started. "Remember that trip to Mexico we were planning a few weeks ago? Right before the finals started up?"

She nodded, her smile growing even wider, showing a gleaming row of pearly almost too white teeth. "I am so excited! Just think of the fun we can have on the trip together--and for the whole summer, too! Just us two . . . on vacation . . . _alone_." Maria leaned her head on Jasper's broad shoulder and clutched her arms to him tightly, stroking her small, manicured hands up and down his chest. Her expression became skeptical. "Why do you ask?" She gasped. "You're not breaking up with me, are you? J, how could you? After all we've--"

Jasper pushed her away and held a finger to her pouty red lips. "I've been disowned."

Maria titled her head to the side, letting her long black hair swing gently out of her messy Chinese bun. "So? After college you can come and live with me. You're going to be living with me all summer. No big deal." She blew it off like she did to her former boyfriends in sixth grade and the beginning of seventh.

Jasper looked at her, shock clear on his face. He bit his lip and ignored what his girlfriend had said. "My father lost his job, and there's barely enough money to take care of us. A friend of his offered him a job across the country--way up in Mississippi. I'll be staying with him up until school starts up again in September. My sister, Rosalie, is staying with my mom here in Houston--I can't be sure how long though. As soon as we're out of college, we're officially disowned and kicked out." Jasper walked over to the the suede couch in the middle of the living room and sat down shakily.

For once, Maria looked at him with a small bit of sympathy in her eyes, easily fooling everyone who didn't know her well. The sympathy immediately dissapeared as she jumped on the couch next to Jasper, the heels of her boots digging into the it and a terrifying glare on her face. "Are you _breaking up with me_, J? Is that what this is all about? Have you found someone _better _than me? Jasper, I'm practically you're wife!"

"Maria, no"--

"Well you know what I say to that, _Jasper_? Do you want to know what I say?" Maria grabbed onto Jasper's honey locks, her eyes glowing with emerald fury and rage, as she dragged him over to the French doors. "I _say_- Get. Out. Of. My. Life!"

And with that, his fiancée closed the door on him.

**Before I forget: When swine flu broke out in the US, people were saying it might be as big as the Spanish flu in 1917-1918. At the same time, we were learning about WWI in school-the war Edward wanted to fight in.  
I've been wanting to say that for weeks, but I keep forgetting. In other news, I made a oneshot called **_Carlisle Gets Sued. _**It was for a challenge. Check it out! In other news-when should Jazz and Al meet? I'm holding a contest-write a oneshot in Edward's point of view, taking lace any time during the books. Just not the "it" scene-so it must be rated T. Thanks for reading!**

**Reviews=Cookies**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's the chapter you've all been waiting for (hopefully)! Jasper heads off to Mississippi! Jasper and Alice should be meeting around chapter five or six. So only a chapter or two till some "happiness" comes into their horrible lives.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_Twilight_.

**Fun Fact of the Day: **In Mississippi, there is a place called "Newton." Directly below it is a place known as "Jasper." There is also a town called "Houston," which along with "Jasper" is also located in the state of Texas. There is also a place called "Brandon" located in Mississippi, not to far from "Jasper," which was originally going to be the name of a street directly opposite of "Hale," but was instead named something else that had to do with the Civil War; a specific battle fought the year Jasper was turned into a vampire. (Talk about irony.)

Chapter Four

_

* * *

_

_They were coming. Clothed in black, wide red eyes, and a wicked mouth turned up in a cruel smile, they approached. They killed everyone in sight, the cool blood of the dead now filling the life of the young ones._

_They were coming. They didn't know where they were going, but they new what they were going for. They knew their mission. They knew their duty was to kill; to murder the life and soul, and then to quench the life and thirst of the young ones._

_They were coming._

* * *

_Jasper Hale_

_"Attention all flight 42701 passengers, attention all flight 42701 passengers. Flight 42071 to Mississippi is now boarding. Take off in half an hour." _The mechanical sound of a woman speaking into the loud speaker rang in Jasper's ears, an unfortunate reminder that he would be permanently leaving his family in the time span of only a few months, maybe a year if he was lucky. He was to be disowned; only for reasons that his father lost a large amount of money and had to relocate across the country.

Mr. Hale picked up his two suitcases and started weaving through the mess of people to the boarding area for their flight. Jasper trudged slowly behind, his two bags suddenly seeming much heavier. Sighing, Jasper pushed through the heavy crowd of would have most likely gotten lost if it weren't for his enormous height. He ignored the many people pushing past him to get to their flights, some of which shouted angry words at his sluggish like movements.

The line was rather short; apparently not to many people were interested in heading off to Mississippi, not that Jasper was surprised. A woman who looked like an older, slightly plumper version of Rosalie stood just ahead of him, once again reminding him of his selfish but occasionally kind sister. A short, stocky man, who looked to be in his late thirties collected Jasper and his father's tickets, handing the four suitcases to the luggage carrier as he did it. Jasper trudged slowly behind his father, wanting to remember every bit of his hometown before walking onto the wretched plane. He would miss it all -- the houses, the shopping centers, the people, the plants, the schools, even the hot, humid, weather that was often the cause of his painful sunburns.

"You need some time alone, son?" Jasper whirled his head around, his blond curls in a messy disarray. His father stood a few feet ahead of him, a somewhat skeptical look on his plump face. His eyes were strained and bloodshot, as if he hadn't slept in days. Jasper felt a small hint of sympathy for his father, but that immediately disappeared once he remembered why he was going to Mississippi in the first place. He nodded, handed his carry on to his father, and walked back down the hallway to the airport. "Be back within the next fifteen minutes!" Mr Hale called.

The mess of people had cleared slightly -- a majority of them had either left or boarded their planes--leaving more room for Jasper to settle down and think. The ticket master strapped a dark purple paper bracelet on his wrist, signifying he had already given in his ticket. Jasper sent him a polite but forced smile in return, before heading down the near empty hallway and to the front doors.

Once outside, a faint smile broke across Jasper's face. He was still upset at the fact that he was being disowned and his fiancee had left him, but a small part of him was happy that all this had happened. It was almost as if an old bondage had been broken; like the ropes has been torn away and the person they held set free. It was warm and relaxing, but at the same time a faint hatred fueled in his mind, though he was unsure of the source. Jasper ignored the strange but somewhat comforting feeling and checked his watch, setting the timer so it would give him enough time to get back to the airport and board his plane.

Jasper walked down the sidewalk, taking a different path through an alleyway rather than continuing into the rural areas of Houston, Texas. He had taken the path only once or twice before, each a day or so before his family had taken him out of the country. Usually a calm and relaxed person, at the time Jasper wasn't at all worried about the trip, or what the causes of it would be. He mind remained focused on duller, less important, things in life. Friends, toys, and ice cream were the only things that mattered at that time so many years ago; the only things he cared for.

The wind blew softly, brushing Jasper's curly, blond locks out of his blue eyes, signifying a small but violent storm would be hitting would be hitting the Texas area within a few hours. A cloud was slowly beginning to darken several miles away, in the exact direction the plane was heading. Nearly all the birds had settled down in their homes, leaving only the cicadas to growl loudly in the hot, summer weather. The storm couldn't come soon enough, much to Jasper's dismay, and it wouldn't be delaying the flight. Changing the flight route was the only thing that would allow him to relax a few moments more.

_Beep, beep! Beep, beep! _As if on cue, Jasper's watch rang loudly throughout the air, echoing in the nearly empty alleyway, and startling any animals within hearing range. He quickly silenced the watch, trying to revel in the last moments of silence he would receive in the next few months. It would be tough, moving to a new state so far away from his hometown, but at this moment he was prepared for anything. Jasper ran quickly down the alley and the two blocks to the airport, taking in his last few minutes of Texas air and freedom before boarding the dreaded plane.

He didn't expect to fall in love.

* * *

_Alice Brandon_

Miserable. Revolting. Horrid. Awful. Horrible. Repulsive. Cruel. _Abominable. _There were more than a million synonyms to describe this wretched place, and each one would fit more than perfect in description. This included the blue and yellow paper that was sent out to everyone in the asylum -- including the guards -- that stated visitors were to be coming next week for observations and studies. Several other new people had signed up for guards, most of them taking the night shift, as the children were more frightened and likey not to escape at night. It was obvious that James himself belonged in the asylum for not having a brain and acting like the idiot he is to everyone who was willing to pay him.

Alice chuckled dryly to herself, and for the first time in weeks, a smile -- even if it was barely there -- crossed her petite face, which was now pale and bone thin. Having been fed only a small slice of bread and a teacup's worth a water, Alice was surprised she hadn't already starved to death. The weird guard -- Laurent -- was rather gullible and was easy to trick, instantly giving Alice access to more food. The visions were also helpful; when a guard fell asleep or left their post, Alice could use the chance to peak out the tiny window -- having to stand on the bench -- and get a glimpse of what was going on.

It was what a typical outsider would call "normal." The outside area of the asylum was, indeed, normal enough to pass, but that was really all people used to interpret what went on inside. To an outsider, the inside could've even been considered nice; it had furniture, it was decently cleaned, a few portraits were hung on there otherwise bare walls. The point of view changed completely when someone was an _insider _rather than an outsider. An insider would hate everything about this place; the look, the treatment, the people, even the smell. It would not in the least bit be considered normal.

Alice looked at the yellow and blue paper James had sent out yesterday, squinting in the darkness to see the black words printed on it. The faintest bit of light filtered into the room, almost seeming to make the most "important" words stand out. "With all the people we are trying to protect and care for in our building" -- it didn't escape Alice that James was careful not to use the term 'asylum' -- "we are in need of more workers; more people who are willing to save the lives of those possessed and in need of our help." Alice scoffed, crumpling up the paper of lies and tossing it to the corner of the room.

A small part of it was true -- the asylum _was_in need of more workers, in James' opinion at least -- but it was almost completely for the opposite reason. A day or two ago -- Alice was still unsure of the time, or even whether it day or night -- a twenty seven year old woman had escaped because they had only two guards guarding one section; a total of twenty rooms. There was also the fact that there were several other younger children, a majority of them between the ages of five and eight, and it was getting harder and harder to control them. Alice had been all but forgotten in all the commotion of the new arrivals.

"Mommy! Please don't make me go! I'll be good; I promise!" One of the heartbreaking visions Alice had recently seen was of a young girl, maybe six or seven years old, who was given up by her aunt and uncle because she claimed to hear voices in my head. The sad thing was that few to none of the people in here actually had something _wrong _with them -- they were just gifted, and apparently a majority of the people on this Earth couldn't accept that, instead ready to give up their own children. To say the least, Alice was elated when she found out the young girl's aunt had fallen down the concrete stairs and twisted her ankle, the bone nearly snapping in half in the process. It wasn't exactly something you could avoid laughing about, even in a place like this.

Unfortunately, this had instantaneously brought back the painful memories of Alice's childhood when her visions had nearly killed someone, causing them to end up in the hospital for several months. Her mother and father had locked her in the closet for hours, only letting her out for food. It was a rare time when Alice actually considered her visions a gift, and now was most definitely not one of them. They were more often than not considered a curse; encasing her to this horrid life of nothingness. This life of cruelness and emptiness she was trapped in; destined to die in this awful place.

She didn't expect to fall in love.

**I would like to give a big thank you to my friend LilyPadADV for beta-ing this chapter. She's awesome.**

**Did anyone else hear that's Stephenie Meyer started rewriting Midnight Sun? Somebody, confirm it for me and I'll give you a preview! I need to know!**

**Good songs to listen to: Amazing by Janelle. It fits Edward and Bella's relationship perfectly. At the Beginning (With You) is perfect for Jasper and Alice. Love Game is perfect for Rosalie and Emmett.**

**How should Jazz and Al's relationship start? Love at first site or mild interest in one another? Seriously, if I don't get answers to this question, I might not be able to continue.**

**Reviews = Ice Cream**


	5. Chapter 5

**I apologize for not updating. Over the summer, my friend's cancer worsened, and I thought it would be best if I spent time with her, rather than writing. She went into remission shortly before Thanksgiving, and about two weeks later, I was ready to give you a new chapter. But by that time, Adri was feeling sick again. The doctors thought it was pneumonia, but after running some tests, discovered the cancer came back untreatable.**

_***December 6~January 26* (years not given for privacy reasons.)**_

**I hope you understand and forgive me. I also apologize if there are any mistakes; my English isn't perfect yet and my beta has disappeared. I tried to throw in a bit of humor to not make the story completely depressing, but it was really hard to do, especially while I'm going through this.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**Quote of the Day: What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson**

* * *

Unforgettable Promise

_By: KCcrazy_

Chapter Five

_Alice Brandon_

Simply put, asylums suck.

There were three guards positioned in front of the door of each cell, all dressed in black, army style uniforms and holding guns that were at least twice the size of Alice's small frame. She couldn't hear a single word they were saying, or even if they were breathing, thanks to the two way sound proof walls James had so kindly ordered to be installed, just so he wouldn't have to deal with the patients screaming all day. This only upset her more. She wanted to hear the patients scream, so she would know that others were here with her. Alice knew she would do the same for them, just so they would know that there was someone only a few feet away who was going through the same thing they were. If it was a comfort on roller coasters that went upside down and made half the people that rode them sick, then there was no doubt in her mind that ear splitting screaming would comfort others.

As if the silence Alice was forced to bear with every time she wasn't with Doctor Evil (who had since given her a quick buzz cut just because he couldn't deal with her frequent and anger influenced temper tantrums) wasn't enough, we were having two new groups of people coming today for a visit. From what she had heard during the few glorious seconds she had chanced running outside and into the beautiful sunlight, three fourths of the people arriving would be guards or office helpers. The other fourth would be college students from a psychology school, who were trying to find out what made the patients the way they are, what made them angry, what caused their problems to start, and a whole load of other crap Alice couldn't be bothered to even listen to, let alone care about.

And then there was the food, or lack of, correctly put.

Each patient was given two small meals a day--once in the afternoon, and once after treatment. This was to give the illusion that the patients had refused to eat, insisting that they were fine. If the patient had died in the asylum, doctors and police would assume it was due to anorexia or bulimia or their insanity stopping them from eating altogether. Whenever a patient was found dead in their cell, a machine would be used to extract blood and nutrients from the body. Thinking about it made Alice sick, and she stood up slowly, forcing herself not to vomit at the images now invading her mind. She had seen the death of a girl only three years younger than she, and the images of what they had done to her had haunted Alice ever since.

Alice froze and sank quickly down to the ground as the cell door was slowly pushed open, the heavy metal scraping against the floor. Alice and the entering guard cringed as the high pitched scraping reached their ears, causing the guard to slide himself in through the small space in between the door and the wall. Alice blinked quickly for several moments, trying to adjust to the sudden light. Her vision was blurry and unclear, but she could just barely make out the silhouette of a plump man. He appeared to be carrying a gun, along with a cube-like object in his other hand. The man fumbled with the unknown object for a moment, before swinging his arms and shining a flashlight in Alice's face. Alice gasped and staggered back, shielding her eyes.

"C'mere, little girl. Don' be worryin'. I ain't gonna hurt ya. I'm one o' the best they gots."

Despite the situation, Alice was unable to contain her growing curiosity. One of the few things that actual _was _wrong with her, she has come to realize, was the fact that she could never keep her mouth shut about anything, even if the situation was life threatening. Without a moment of hesitation, she asked, "What kind of an accent is that?" Shocked at what she had said, Alice quickly placed a hand over her mouth and backed away, pressing her back firmly against the strong wall.

The man looked at her, confused, before breaking out into hearty and boisterous laughter. His teeth were yellowed, but not nearly as bad as Laurent's. The man slapped his thighs, still laughing and smiled up at Alice. "You're a confident one, aren't you? And before you ask, no, the accent was not fake." Alice opened her mouth to interrupt again, but the man held up a dirtied finger and silenced her. "I use it whenever I meet one of the new kids. I don't mean to scare them at first, but after a while it makes them feel more open towards me. I share something, you share something. It's a bit like a mutualistic relationship."

Alice nodded, her arms wrapped tightly around her chest, and slowly slid to the ground. The back of her shirt rode up, and her skin was met with the colder than ice wall.

The man laughed heartily again, and handed Alice the object he had pulled the flashlight from. "This is a box of some new clothes. My boss said that since you've been cooperating so well, you deserve some fresh, new clothes. The shirt is the same size, but the pants are a few sizes smaller, from the looks of it," he said, pulling the clothing out. They were still wrapped in the plastic paper stores put them in whenever they had to deliver items to a house.

Alice's eyes had adjusted to the light, but instead of basking in the florescent lighting like she had wanted to, took the opportunity to take in her surroundings. It was different than she had remembered, but there was only one time when she had the chance to look around--and that was the day she had first arrived, and by then her eyes were so filled with tears she might as well have been blind for all she could see. "What's your name?" Alice whispered quietly, her voice hoarser than before. The man didn't answer for a moment, but instead chose to concentrate on pulling another box at of the larger one and peeling off the tape around it. "My name is Alice."

"You're nameplate says Al."

"Nameplate?"

"Outside, they have little plaques that have everyone's name engraved on them. This section is one of the smaller ones, so I figured I'd memorize all of the names--and I freely admit that it was for the pure, simple reason of avoiding boredom. I didn't realize some of them might be incorrect. Yours could have just been a nickname."

"But _Al_?" Alice was horrified, and a sick feeling washed over her. It was bad enough college students were coming to observe her, but they would perform all the procedures not knowing whether she was a male or female. The flyers James had handed out several days ago stated that many of the visitors were overly enthusiastic about "discovering a new creature." Alice gasped and placed her hands on her stomach. "They're going to think I'm an alien," she whispered inaudibly.

"According to the one you call _Doctor Evil_, the spirit is more likely to leave if they sense a sudden gender change." He laughed again, a big toothy grin on his face. "Doctor Evil! That's great!" He wiped his eyes and sighed. "By the way, I go by the name of Billy. I used to have a son who had to stay here, but neither one us liked it even the slightest. His pediatrician said this place would help him, so I agreed to let him stay as long as I could work with him." There was a hint of regret in his voice.

"Is he okay?"

"That story is not for today." Billy sighed again and stood up. "Well, I best be goin' now. It's gonna take some time to get back to usin' my normal talk. I really don't like this _American_ accent. It makes me feel like I'm betraying my home country. You know what I mean? Have you ever been betrayed by someone you loved?"

_Yes_, Alice thought. _My parents_.

* * *

_Jasper Hale_

Simply put, airplanes suck.

Instead of riding in the first class the Hale men were accustomed to, they were currently sitting in the last row of the airplane, not even a yard from the restroom. The smell was atrocious, and several bags had to be given out to Jasper during the first half hour. The food--if you could call it that--the stewards and stewardesses handed was far worse than usual, and the sodas and wines tasted as if they had been spit in by a diseased elephant.

Jasper pulled his travel notebook out of his carry on backpack. He flipped the crumpled pages until he reached an unused one, pulled the stubby pencil from behind his ear, and began writing. After coming back from the alley way, he had passed by a bagel shop and bought two copies of the newspaper. One was for himself, and the other was just for play--an act, a trick. Jasper had secretly been looking at jobs available in Mississippi. There were very few that he could apply for; he hadn't even finished senior year yet, and there were even fewer that fit his standards and payed enough money to allow him to but his own apartment.

Slowly, trying to make the distraction from the putrid odor and inedible food as long as possible, Jasper began making a list of possible jobs he could apply for. The newspaper had had a large Jobs Wanted section, several for each state. The Mississippi was one of the smaller ones, with only seven possible jobs, four of which were for college graduates or elders only. That left psychiatrist, orthodontist assistant, and asylum guard. The job as an orthodontist assistant was low paying, and Jasper was not qualified for it, as he had not graduated from high school yet. However, he had taken psychology for two semesters in the past year, and the payment was far higher than that of an asylum guard.

With only two decisions to debate upon, one being a low paying job where all that was done was standing in front of a door and the other was a high paying job where you could talk and interact with people, the decision was quite easy to make. Although Jasper wasn't sure of where exactly in Mississippi he was staying, he was almost positive there would be more than one available job in the state. Mississippi may have been a bit too small for his liking, but it was packed with buildings and stores in most areas.

Jasper gasped and dropped his notebook as his father suddenly woke up, his face flushed red and covered in sweat. His eyes were bulging as a steward came over and quickly moved him to the front area of the airplane, where the air was somewhat fresher. Jasper wasn't at all worried for his father; after being taken to the hospital the first time this had happened, a doctor had confirmed it was just a sign of excessive stress, and that it was common in times like these. Although no one had confirmed it and his mother and father had been very secretive lately, Jasper suspected it was the aftermath of his father's job loss, or even what had caused him to lose his job in the first place.

The steward came back then, holding and air bag to the now relatively calm Mr. Hale's face. The steward slowly eased him into his seat, carefully placing a white comfort pillow behind his neck for extra support. Jasper's father looked around wildly for several moments, as if he was trying to figure out what had happened. Jasper scrambled to to pick his notebook off the floor and back into his carry on before his father could notice. After only a few more seconds, Mr. Hale's eyes were closed and his breathing steadied considerably. Jasper subtly glanced over at his sleeping father every few moments after that, wanting to keep his job hunting a secret until the last possible moment.

***

Jasper cringed as his foot met the door for a fifth time. He and his father had been trying to get the door to their apartment open for what had seemed like hours, and scratched shoes and bruised toes were there to prove it. The door scraped against the tiled floor as it opened, just wide enough for Jasper and his father to squeeze through. Jasper quickly through his suitcases to the ground and shoved the table that had been blocking their entrance away in annoyance.

"I am going to assume you're in a bad mood. Jet lag?" Mr. Hale rested his suitcases on the floor, smiling.

Jasper struggled to hide his glare from his father. "Something like that."

"Why don't you look around while I get things ready and unpacked. The furniture is already here and set up, so I'll let you pick which room you want." Although his father's logic made little sense, he agreed to it anyway and began walking throughout the apartment, ready to collapse on the first bed he saw. He was tired as hell from the trip--that much his father knew--but was not looking forward for the job interviews he would have to face in the morning. Jasper had applied for jobs before in the months when he was staying in a particular area, but those jobs were never permanent and his family had always supplied him with anything he needed.

Jasper opened the next door, this one--finally--a bedroom. It was small and cramped, the only furniture being the bed, a desk, and a wardrobe. The floor was dirty and cracked, much unlike the rest of the apartment, where carpets and tiles were apparently the main priorities. The only light available was from the moon and stars, both of which were invisible from any angle. It was not even remotely close to being an okay room to sleep and work in; it could hardly even be counted as a living space.

And yet somehow, it felt _right_.

In all reality, living in a room as crappy as this one was the first step to being disowned. It sounded horrible and perfect in that context. It sounded horrible because it meant that everyone and everything he ever knew or loved was leaving him, and he would never be able to get them back, no matter what he tried to do. It sounded perfect because it was fresh and new and _right. _It sounded perfect because it meant a new beginning, a new start, away from all those that had hurt him, all those who were going to hurt him.

It was perfect because it was _him_.

**They meet in the next chapter. Pinky swear.**

**As I said before, I'm sorry if this is not as good as the previous chapters, or if it was too angsty for your liking. I really am trying.**

**Thank you for reading.**


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